The Kokosing Valley Central Model Railroad Club is located in the basement of the CA&C Depot in Mount Vernon, Ohio. The club has around 25 members who meet every Thursday to work on maintenance and upkeep of their many layouts.
Every third Sunday of the month, the club hosts an open house where the community can enjoy a glimpse of Knox County’s past.
The club’s HO scale layout twists and turns through a loosely based version of Knox County in the 1960s.
When asked what time period the layout represents, member Lance Hilburn said, “The 1960s, when diesel locomotives started to take over and steam locomotives began to be phased out.”
The HO scale layout features many different scenes, ranging from a busy coal mine and an old feed mill to a towering mountain and a crowded city.
Off to the side of the HO scale layout is the O scale layout, which is the smallest layout the club owns. The O scale layout is decorated for many holidays throughout the year. It is currently covered in snow, but the trains are still running on time to deliver Santa’s toys before Christmas.
Across the hall is the N scale layout, which features the smallest trains the club owns. Despite its size, the N scale layout is packed with detail. Scenes range from cows grazing in a pasture and carvings in a rock wall to a father and son fishing at a pond and workers loading freight cars to be shipped across the country.
Model railroading is not just for kids. “The kid’s hobby is under the Christmas tree. With this, you get to respect the details and put together real life. You can get burned out at times, but you just have to take a step back and then come back to it,” said Hilburn.
If you ever want to take a peek into the past or just enjoy a good time, the Kokosing Valley Central Model Railroad Club is a great place to visit.
